Spent the morning snoop shopping at Chicos

I've accepted the fact that I like the styles from Chicos. I have bought a couple items there, but it's pretty expensive. I have a tank and jacket combo from their Travelers collection which is out of a teal slinky. I also have a pair of jeans which I really like too.

I attempted to copy a jacket style recently, and totally blew it. It's all in the details, and I've discovered how easy it is to view the details at the Chicos website.

I still have to post the photo of my jacket, but it doesn't compare at all. In viewing the original photo I got the idea of a shiny jacket for the holidays, that's how I read it. But now in reviewing the details I see some great little things I missed and could have incorporated into my pattern. I'm still learning though, I can accept that.

Here's the shiny jacket:


Do you look at it and just see a shiny jacket with princess seams? Now look at the details.

Now I see a zipper and it looks like it has pockets in the front. What appeared to me first to be a shoulder princess seam is actually an armhole princess.

And that wasn't a pocket at all, it's actually some waist buckle thing, though I don't see a buckle (it's mentioned on the webpage.) And look, the hem is done as a separate piece. I really like that as I think my hems aren't so good (at least when I'm trying to bag a lining.) This is something for me to think about.

On to the next jacket. This one has terrific detailing and sewing ideas I would like to try. Look closely at the lining? The details are in the lining....so is there no facing?


The awesome bracelet doesn't hurt either.


The collar looks bound.


If the collar is bound with a bias piece, then what is happening here at the front of the jacket?


But here it doesn't look bound. So how did they wrap this fabric around to the other side and have it be so smooth? I'm still kind of liking the bound edge idea.

This is just a cute jeans jacket out of a shiny brown denim. It's adorable...shiny brown denim, go figure.

And I love the non-traditional buttons, they are perfect.


This jacket doesn't look like much, it doesn't hang well on her unbuttoned, but it's got some good details.


I love the sleeve details and the topstitching. And the jacket edge is bound. I'm not so good at figuring out how and when to topstitch. This gives me some new ideas.



This is just a cute jacket, and I love how this lady looks in it. That's what I want to look like when I grow up.

Pretty standard details.